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J. H. CHAMP. HYDRAULIC AIR COMPRESSOR.

Patented Aug a w w a z J a u I: H M UM M E *FIE'nYL 'm'flzesses;

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J H. CHAMP. HYDRAULIC AIR COMPRESSOR.

No. 544,459. Patented Aug. 13, 1895.

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J. H. CHAMP. HYDRAULIC AIR COMPRESSOR.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH H. CHAMP, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE BISHOP & BABCOCK COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

HYDRAULIC AIR-COMPRESSOR.

SPECIFICJATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 544,459, dated August 13, 1895.

Application filed May 18, 189 Serial No, 511,634. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH H. CHAMP, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic Air-Compressors,

of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained, and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle so as to vdistinguish it from other inventions.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail one mechanical respectively illustrating the position of the valves at the beginning of the downstroke of the air and water pistons at the end of the downstroke of said pistons, at the beginning of the upstroke of the pistons, and at the end of the upstroke of the pistons; and Figs. VI and VII, respectively a bottom plan view and an axial section of the air-piston.

The valves which control-the flow of water into and out from the water-cylinder slide within a cylindrical valve-chamber A, which has a water-inlet A and a water-outlet A connected to it. A water-cylinder 'B is secured above the valve-chamber, and an aircylinder 0 is secured above the water-cylinder. The air-cylinder has an uncontrolled air inlet and outlet 0 at its lower end, and a valve-controlled air-inlet c' and a valve-controlled air-outlet c at its upper end. A piston B is fitted to slide in the water-cylinder, and an air-piston C is fitted to slide in the air-cylinder, and said pistons are connected by a tubular piston-rod D, which slides in a stuffing-box b in the top of the water-cylinder. An annular channel b is provided around the lower end of the water-cylinder, and a vertical channel 12 connects said annular channel with the upper end of the watercylinder.

A series of annular ports a, a, a aid, a and a. surround the valve-chamber, and the port (1. directly communicates with the wateroutlet and the port a directly communicates with the Water-inlet. The lowermost port a communicates with the water-inlet through a channel 0L7, and the uppermost port a communicates with the water-outlet through a channel a The port a communicates with the upper end of the water-cylinder through a channel a", which opens into the annular channelb' around the lower end of the watercylinder. The port a communicates with the lower end of the water-cylinder by means of a channel a The port a communicates with the lower end of the valve-chamber by means of a channel a, which opens into the bottom of said chamber.

A valve E, having three-pistons e, e, and c slides in the lower portion of the valvechamber and is connected by a slip-joint to a one-piston valve F, having two stemsf and f projecting from its faces to form a slipjoint with the three-piston valve E and with anotherone-piston valve G, which principally acts as a sliding packing for the upper end of the valve-chamber. The latter valve G is formed with a shouldered neck 9 and with a may be raised and depressed by the waterpiston at the ends of its upstroke and downstroke.

The upper end of the piston-rod is formed with a circumferential flange d, which fits into a flanged guide 0 upon the under side of the air-piston C, said guide extending from the center of the piston and being open at its outer end, so that the piston may be secured upon the piston-rod by engaging the flanged end of the piston-rod with the open outer end of'the guide and sliding the guide upon the end of the rod until the latter is at the inner end of the guide. When the piston is within the cylinder, the latter will prevent lateral displacement of the piston; but when the aircylinder is removed from the water-cylinder the piston may be easily removed for repairs or whatever other purposes, and as easily be again replaced.

For the purpose of rendering the operation of the air-compressor and the various relative positions of the valves properly understood, the description of the relative positions of the parts of the air-compressor will be presumed to be as illustrated in Figs. I and II at the moment when water under pressure is admitted into the compressor at the water-inlet A. The inlet water passes through the ports a and a and through the channel a to the lower end of the valve-chamber, holding the three-piston valve raised by its action against the under side of the piston e of said valve. The inlet water, furthermore, passes through the channel a through the ports a and a, and through the channel a, annular channel I), and channel 11 to the upper end of the watercylinder, where it acts with downward pressure upon the water-piston B. The water below the water-piston escapes through the channel a port a and port a into the wateroutlet, whence it passes out to the waste. The water-piston is, consequently, forced downward, drawing in air at the upper side of the airpiston and expelling air from be neath said air-piston. As the inlet water bears against the under side of the one-piston valve F and the upper side of said valve is exposed to the waste or water outlet, and as the water above the one-piston valve G, or the movable packing, is likewise exposed to the waste, the pressure of the inlet water will maintain said pistons F and G in their raised position. hen the water-piston arrives at the lowermost end of its stroke, as illustrated in Fig. III, said piston strikes the shouldered neck 9 of the onepiston valve, or movable packing G, and forces the same downward, thereby likewise forcing the one-piston valve F downward. This change will connect the lower end of the valve-chamber, through the passage a ports a and a, and channel a with the water-outlet, so that water may escape from beneath the lower piston of the three-piston valve E, and said valve be shifted downward into the position illustrated in Fig. IV, the downward pressure of the inlet water upon the upper piston of the valve causing the shifting of the valve. WVhen the valves have been shifted into the position illustrated in Fig. IV, the inlet water passes, through ports a and a and the channel a to the lower end of the water-cylinder, forcing the piston in the same upward. The water in the upper portion of the water-cylinder escapes, through the vertical channel b the annular channel b the channel a", and the ports a and a into the outlet or waste. As the inlet water acts with downward pressure upon the one-piston valve or movable packing G and with upward pressure upon the one-piston valve F, and as said valves are in close contact, said valves will be exactly balanced and will remain in their proper position. lVhen the water-piston arrives at the extremity of its upward stroke, it pulls the valve-stem g upward and exerts an upward pull upon the entire series of valves, as illustrated in Fig. V. The upward pull upon the valves brings the one-piston valve F above the port a which furnishes communication with the lower end of the valve-chamber, so that inlet water may pass down through the channel ca to force the three-piston valve upward, while communication yet remains established between the inlet water and the lower end of the water-cylinder, so that the water-piston will continue its upward stroke and draw the valves with it. As the inlet water acts against the under side of the one-piston valve F and against the under side of the lower piston e of the three-piston valve, said upward action of the inlet water will overcome its downward action against the upper side of the upper piston e of the three-piston valve, so that both valves E and F will move upward into the position illustrated in Fig. II, the slip-joint between said valves being extended as far as it'will go. After the valves have been moved into the positions illustrated in Fig. II the operation of the air-compressor will be repeated in the same manner as described above.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed for the mode herein'explained. Change may therefore be made as regards the mechanism thus disclosed, provided the principles of construction set forth respectively in the following claims are employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention- 1. In a hydraulic air compressor, the combination of a water cylinder having water inlet and outlet at each end; a valve chamber of the same diameter throughout its length and having ports connected to said water inlets and outlets, two ports for the inlet of the actuating water, two ports for the outlet of the actuating water, and a port near one end and communicating with the opposite end of the chamber; a three-piston valve the lower piston of which is the actuating piston for the valve; a one-piston valve connected by a slip joint to said three-piston valve, and a movable packing at the end of the valve chamber and connected by a slip joint to said one-piston valve and provided with means. for shifting it, substantially as set forth.

2. In a hydraulic air compressor, the coinbination of a water cylinder having water inlet and outlet at each end; a valve chamber having an inlet port for the actuating water, a port communicating with one end of the water cylinder, a port communicating with the waste, a port communicating with the other end of the water cylinder, a port communicating with the inlet of the actuating water, a

port communicating with the end of the valve chamber, and a port communicating with the Waste, said ports being arranged in the order recited; a three-piston valve having one endpiston permanently below the lower actuating Water inlet and having the other end-piston permanently below the other actuating water inlet and having the third piston playing at both sides of the inlet and outlet port for one end of the water cylinder; a one-piston valve playing at both sides of the port communicating with the end of the valve chamber and connected to the three-piston valve by a slip joint, and a movable packing connected to said onepiston valve by a slip joint and permanently above the upper waste port and having means for longitudinally shifting it in the valve chamber, substantially as set forth.

3. In a hydraulic air compressor, the com-- end of the valve chamber, and a port communicating with the waste,-said ports being arranged in the order recited; a three-piston valve having one end-piston permanently below the lower actuating water inlet and having the other end-piston permanently below the other actuating water inlet and having the third piston playing at both sides of the inlet and outlet port for one end of the water cylinder; a one-piston valve playing at both sides of the port communicating with the end of the valve chamber and connected to the three-piston valve by a slip joint, and a movable packing connected to said one-piston valve by a slip jointand permanently above'the upper waste port and having an extensible and contractible connection to the water piston whereby it may be longitudinally shifted by the latter at the opposite ends of the stroke of said piston, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing to be my invention I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of May, A. D. 1894.

JOS. H. CHAMP. Witnesses:

WM. SECHEB, .T. O. TURNER. 

